The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1887-12-08
Manitomo1 pilot.
VALUABLE SHELLS.
Arrival at New York of a Large Quantity
of Mother-cf-PearI

Arrival at New York of a Large Quantity
of Mother-cf-PearL
A cargo of about thirty-six thousand
pounds of pearl from the Philippine
islands arrived in this city last week,
SAYS the New York Commercial Adcer-
Hser, and it viii no doubt soon be con-
verted into artistic shapes for the adj
ornment of fashionable mansions. One
of the latest atfectationS of the wealthy
is the addition TO their household gods
of Observation-Disclosures sea and land
scape paintings in oil upon mother-of-
pearl shells. 1t is doubtful whether
one of the hundreds who purchase
them, or five out of the thousands who
admire them in show windows on
Broadway or elsewhere, have the re-
hottest idea that nature formed these
shells for any other purpose than to be
used in this style of adornment.
A large importer of shells and a
manufacturer of pearl goods, in con-
versation with reporter, expressed
establishment at the profound ignor-
ance of so many persons in regard to
the different localities from which
pearl shells come, and the hundred
and one purposes for which they are
used.
How many kinds are there used in
your buSiness?' asked the reporter.
1.-The shells which possess a COM
mercial value are known to the trade
as the Manila, Australian, Bombay,
Japan, East India, Trocus, Chinese
snail, black and red ear, and Panama.
Several of these species are pearl-bear-
ing shell and are only obtained by
professionaldivers at the imminent risk
of their lives. Many of these bivalves
are very heavy, weighing sometimes
eight OF ten pounds. The moment the
native gets one ashore he forces it
open, and, carefully removing the liv
ing inhabitant, carefully searches for
any pearl it may contain. Not only
the shell, at and about it's hinge, but
the meat OF fish within is thoroughly
examined, lest the pearl might be
secreted, as is frequently the case. in
the body. This examination over. the
shells are laid aside to dry, having
first been thoroughly cleaned. The
finest shell for manufacturing pur-
poses comes from the Philippine is
lands and is called the Manila. 1t
ranges in price from 60 to IS cents a
pound, and is used for making shirt
and dress buttons, pistol stocks, cuff
buttons, parasol and umbrella handles,
pen-handles, studs, and scores of other
articles. A thin veneering is also
made of it, which is worth $12 pound,
and is used for inlaying the covers of
albums and fancy cabinet work. These
veneerings are fairly dazzling with
rainbow hues, and when lightly pol
ished are exceedingly beautiful. When
we have got all these articles out of
the shell there is very little of the
shell remaining"
us there any difficulty Or danger
attending the gathering of these
shells?
Il should rather say there was.
There is one species of shell, shaped
like an ear, called the silver and red
ear, in the sides of which are small
holes, and through these, by means OF
long suckers, the fish fastens himself
to a rock. When the tide has pretty
nearly run out the natives 90 down
among the rocks and, watching their
opportunity, catch hold of the upper
shell which the shellfsh keep open.
Unless he succeeds in the first instance
in pulling it from its resting place,
the animal will close its shell in q
second and the mans fingers will be
held there in vice-like grip. In that
case the unfortunate pearl gatherel
will have to stand up to his knees in
water unless he cuts offhis imprisoned
fingers, for the shell can not be pried
open, nor can three men, with their
united strength, pull his suckers from
the rock. The she'll is so hard that il
is next to impossible to smash it.
There the poor fellow is held in agony
until the tide rises, when, unless he
frees himself by chopping off his fin.
ger ends and leaving them for the an
imal to dine on, he is sure to be
drowned.
"After the shells have been thorough.
~ searched for pearls, they are clean
sed and packed in cases of about two
hundred pounds each, and shipped to
England, France. or this country
Great ingenuity and long experience
are required to become an expert in
pearl-shell working. When a manu-
facturer receives an order for lot of
cuff-buttons he is sometimes obliged
to overhaul dozens of cases in order
to obtain those of the required thick
ness, and then not more than three or
four buttons can be drilled out of the
heaviest shell. But then nothing goes
to waste, for small buttons and other
articles are made from the thinner
parts, and then, by means of a circu-
lar saw, the scrap is cut for inlaying
or veneering. Pistol stocks require
the very heaviest shell. A pearl-w ork-
er in this city, having some time ago,
received an order from an army Off
Ger for pearl-handled revolver, was
obliged to overhaul nearly a whole
ship load before he could find two
shells of the required thickness. He
received 800 for that pistol stock.
The business of pearl manufacture
ing is comparatively new in this
country, and the profits are so large
that there is a tendency to monopolize
the industry. In consequence ali
sorts of devices are resorted TO in
order to obtain the advantage. Some
time ago a large house in this city
bought Il cargo of pearl shells to arrive
at IS cents pound. While the vessel
was in transit the market fell about 40
cents. ltwas a lucky thing for thehouse
that the ship foundered off the Cape
of Good Hope, for the concern would
certainly have foundered had the ship
come safely to port. Manufacturers
here prefer waiting for lots of pearl
shells to arrive at this port direct from
the fisheries, instead of ordering from
London, knowing that the shells are
assorted there and the choicest picked
out for the English and French mar
kets. There are several large manu-
factories of pearl work in Newark,
Philadelphia, Germantown, and in
this city, and since the establishment